Interesting information about the Chinese zodiac:
The ox carried the rat, who pushed the cat, who nearly drowned and lost the race in a popular legend behind the Chinese Zodiac, an ancient system steeped in lore that both puzzles and enthralls around the world.
This year, the 15-day Chinese New Year begins Jan. 26, ushering in the Year of the Ox. But why does the year begin then, and why are the years marked by roosters and dragons and pigs?
The Chinese Zodiac is said to follow the stations of Jupiter’s orbit around the sun, which is just shy of 12 years. The animals mark years in a 12-year cycle that begins with rat, followed by ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and boar.
Why they fall that way has a colorful past.
One story has Buddha inviting all the animals in the kingdom to a meeting. In another, it’s the Jade Emperor holding a great banquet. Some animals outwit others to get there first, with their places in the zodiac assigned according to when they arrived.
A third legend is more like “The Amazing Race,” with plotting and scratching and clawing in a competition that includes a river crossing followed by a gathering at the emperor’s palace. The kindly ox agrees to carry the scheming rat and the cat across the water on his back, but the rat betrays his friend the cat by pushing him into a swift current and hops off the ox to claim the top spot.
Always, the cat and the rat were once best friends but wind up mortal enemies after the cat fails to make the top 12.
Millions of people consult horoscopes around the world, including China. The animal of your birth year defines and influences you as it “hides in your heart” for the rest of your life, a Chinese saying goes. In addition to dictating individual destiny and personality, some believe the animal influences events through the year.
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